The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-12-17

lcnL uODf hIci nlnHef, smoking, when
we observed on the other side Of the
river "A aGhOorkha coming down the hills
ut great speed 1T ih3 river bank he
inflated "A shecpskin which ho carried.
and crossed the rapid stream on it
just ms We see on their wall carving
that the Assyriars If old did-being
carried down about u quarter Of Il mile
by the current. On landing he was
met by Ram Bcx. who had run out on
seeing him approach. They walked
toward us. tho Gaoprkha gc5iiculating
violently. and wo heard the following
story:
THE Ghoorkha lived in a hut about
mile from our camp higher up the
river. and only n hundred yards from
the water He had been out for the
day on his duty. which was that OF n
| government runner. leaving at home
his wife, his baby in arms. and little
girl about six year, old The wife had
| gone 10 the stream for water. leaving
| the baby ~ the hut door. The little
| girl had disappeared. aud had without
doubt been carried of by the leopard.
The GhOorkha found It's footm arks on
soft bit Of ground, AID FASTENED to us
without attempting n pursuit In The
/ dense Jungle. Ram Bex decided that
! 1t was too late 10 start that night,
! but asked Us TO be ready an hour bo-
ioro daylight Ia the meantime hc
sent TO the next village for twenty
coolies. who were engaged rs boaters
Mt eight cents n head. On turning out
in the starlight next morning | saw
that our followers aud beatcrs had
| each got some instrument for making
| noise. There were tin kettles. tom.
toms. bells and an old matchbox or
two and my two friends crossed the
river on plank lashcd across two in
ilated bulf,lo skins. which kept
our guns and powder high out
Df water The boatcrs came over
in all sorts Of ways some swimming.
some clinging to inflated shcoI skins.
When we reached the Ghoorkha's hut,
the whole Of our lcatcrs were ex-
tended in line. | standing in tho
middle, at the spot where tho Ghoor-
kha had found traces of the leopard.
The poor Ghoorkha himself. and Ram
Bcx, leading n Brinjarry dog in n
string, were with mo. each # them
carrying II spade. At a given signal
the whole limo started. Tho beaters
yelled, whistlcd, rang bells and beat
tom toms, making noise enough 10
drive away every leopard within
twelve miles. The dog kept steadily
to the scent. but our progress Mt
times was very slow through tho d,
dense bamboo j,nglc.
'After proceeding about mile tho ;
dog became very eager. dashed for
ward. and was not easily held in. I'm
fifty more yards we camo 10 the place
where The brute had been supping
The manglcd remains of the little
girl lay about, ouly half eaten. and
the ogre must have been scared by
our noise. without losing nom ent
the Ghoorkha and Ram Bex set to
work and dug trench under tree
To lecward of the child's remains.
piling up some branches between
them and the trcnch. Into this we
jumpel. The Ghoorkha dc parted
with his dog in the direction taken by
the resi- If The party. who kept up the
same discorlant din rs they moved
away.
Ram Bex now tDld me that the
leopard would think from the passing
away of the noise that the whole party
had gone ON, and would be sure 10 re-
turn in an hour or two to 20 on with
his interrupted feast. We must bo
quiet, for the brute was very cunning.
and the slightest sound or smell would
send him of aud destroy Or chance of
getting shot at him. After waiting
an hour | pulled out my cigar case.
but the shikarri forbade smoking by
energetic gestures. neither OF us speak
ing. had largo doublc-barrcl
smooth bore No. -. loaded with slugs.
at full cock in my hand Rum Bex
had my hrtcch-loading ril, with n
large conical shell in l.. In addition
TO these we had each Ghoorkha
kookrie and revolver 1t was now nine
in the morning Tho noise of our
party had died away over the hills for
an hour or more. | remember as if IL
were yes crday how ! hal my eyes
fixed on the movements OF Il regiment
of white ants, who wore piling them
selves over the bloody fragments
of the poor child that lay about ten
yards from mo. ldcnly Ram Box
put one finger on NY lips, both as y
sign to lookout and keep still. My
fingers sough: th' triggers. and my
eyes were strained in every direction.
could see nothing until. in about two
minutes. could discern that the grass
waved. and the mex instant. with n
tread of velvet. the leopard glidcd in
front of, me. The suddcnness Of his
appearance took my breath away FOR
n few seconds but. recovering myself.
raised my gun To thc shoulder, and
in doing this snapped oil n little twig
from n branch of the Irushwood we
had piled in front of us. The leopard
turned his face full on me. Thinking
that he would jump off | pulled off ut
his chest letting oil. in my nervous
ness, both barrels. H. sprang into
the air with yell and fell backward.
Rum Btx was oat and by his side be-